World War II: Key Battles in the Theaters of War

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World War II Key Battlesin the Theaters of War
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The Western European FrontDunkirk
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Dunkirk
Year 1940 Allies Britain and France Objective
Defend France against the German invasion. Then,
evacuate every possible Allied soldier to safety.
Hitler called for a halt of the final assault on
the coastal town. The few days allowed British
water vessels of all types to evacuate
approximately 336,000 British and French
soldiers. Largest amphibious evacuation in
history. Seen as Hitlers 1st mistake.
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The African FrontEl Alamein
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El Alamein
Year 1942 Allies Britain and United
States Objective Remove Germany from the
African continent.
British (Gen. Montgomery) push from Egypt in the
east, U.S. (Gen. Eisenhower) moves from Morocco
in the west to trap German forces (Gen. Rommel)
and surrender, May, 1943.
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Italian Front Sicily
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Sicily
Year 1943 Allies Britain and United
States Objective Defeat Italy and remove
Germany from the Italian Peninsula.
Italy signs an armistice and hangs Mussolini.
German forces battle for 18 months before Rome is
finally freed.
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Russian Front Stalingrad
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Russian Front Stalingrad
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Stalingrad
Year 1942-1943 Allies Soviet Union Objective
Stop the German advance into the Soviet Union.
German advance stalled outside of Moscow and
Leningrad by the Russian winters of 1941 1942.
Hitler moves south to take oil rich region and is
stopped by street-street fighting.
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Western European Front Normandy
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Normandy D-Day
Year June 6, 1944 Allies Britain and United
States Objective Free France of German
occupation.
Allied bombers flew constant missions over
Germany hitting cities and factories. Massive
amphibious invasion (176,000 troops) reach the
beach head to break through the German defenses.
French resistance forces rose up. Paris welcomes
the liberators on August 25th.
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Western EuropeanFrontBombing ofGerman cities.
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Western EuropeanFrontThe Battle of the
Bulge.
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Western EuropeanFrontThe Battle of the
Bulge.
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Western European Front The Battle of the Bulge
Year December 1944 Allies British, French,
United States Objective Push the German
offensive past Belgium back into Germany.
Both sides take huge losses as the Allied advance
is slowed, but it is Hitlers last success.
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Western European FrontThe German Surrender
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World War II Key Battlesin the Theaters of War
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The Pacific Theater Pearl Harbor
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The Pacific Theater Japans Empire
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The Pacific Theater Midway, Iwo Jima, Philippines
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Pacific Theater Island Hopping
Year June 1942 August 1945 Allies United
States Objective Stop the Japanese expansion in
the Pacific by taking the offensive and
selectively choosing our battles.
Coral Sea, Midway Island, Guadalcanal, Gilbert,
Marshall Islands, Guam, Leyte Gulf in the
Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa eventually
leading to Hiroshima.
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Pacific Theater Midway
Year June 1942 Allies United States Objective
Stop the Japanese expansion in the Pacific and
take the offensive in driving them back to Japan.
Six months after Pearl Harbor American warships
and airplanes severely damaged two Japanese
fleets, one at the Coral Sea and the other at
Midway Island.
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The Pacific Theater The Doolittle Raids on Japan
One of sixteen Army B-25 Mitchell bombers takes
off from the deck of the USS HORNET on its way to
take part in the Doolittle Raid, the first U.S.
bombing raid on Japan. The all volunteer strike
force, trained and led by Lt. Col. James
Doolittle, flew 800 miles then bombed Tokyo and 3
other cities without opposition. The raid
inflicted little damage but gave a big boost to
Allied morale in the face of the seemingly
unstoppable Japanese. April 18, 1942.
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The Pacific Theater The Philippines The
Bataan Death March
The march continues with Americans improvising
litters to carry comrades who have collapsed
along the road from a total lack of food and
water. Over 5,000 Americans died on the march
which began April 10 and lasted six days for some
and up to twelve days for others.
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Five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raise
the flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, using a
piece of Japanese pipe as a mast, February 23,
1945.
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The Pacific Theater Hiroshima
and Nagasaki
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The Pacific Theater Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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The Pacific Theater Hiroshima and Nagasaki
A Roman Catholic cathedral on a hill is all that
remains in this section of Nagasaki following the
dropping of the second Atomic Bomb from a B-29
flown by Major Charles W. Sweeney, August 9,
1945. The Japanese estimated 25,680 were killed
and 44 percent of the city was destroyed.
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The Pacific Theater The Japanese Surrender
Gen. Douglas MacArthur signs as Supreme Allied
Commander during formal surrender ceremonies on
the USS MISSOURI in Tokyo Bay. September 2, 1945.